The payment systems of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) reached a record level of activity in 2025. According to data provided by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) in Dakar, STAR-UEMOA, dedicated to high-value payments, processed 1,247,988 trillion FCFA, or approximately 2,209 billion dollars. On the other hand, SICA-UEMOA, which handles mass payment clearing, recorded 88,465 trillion FCFA, or nearly 157 billion dollars.
During a seminar organized in Dakar on July 20 and 21, 2026 for UEMOA journalists, BCEAO reviewed the evolution of its payment systems over the past two decades. The institution presented the main stages of modernization of its infrastructures, the progress made in terms of interoperability, and projects related to the use of data on financial transactions.
Presenting this evolution, Thierry Ahouanvoedo, Head of the Analysis and Fiduciary Production Service at BCEAO, indicated that the modernization of the financial sector has resulted in the gradual replacement of manual processes with automated systems to improve processing times, security, and transaction efficiency.
More than two decades of modernization
Before these reforms, certain banking operations, such as check processing, required several days due to cumbersome procedures and multiple intermediate controls. BCEAO initiated a modernization process in the early 2000s to streamline financial exchanges and support monetary integration within the Union.
This system is based on three main infrastructures. The Automated Transfer and Settlement System of UEMOA (STAR-UEMOA) handles high-value payments processing and real-time settlement. The Interbank Automated Clearing System of UEMOA (SICA-UEMOA) handles mass payments, including checks, transfers, and direct debits. The regional card payment system completes this set by processing operations with bank cards.
The speaker also highlighted the distinction between payment and settlement. Payment corresponds to the operation initiated by the user, while settlement constitutes the final stage of the effective transfer of funds between financial institutions. Between the two, mechanisms of clearing, fund availability checks, and transaction security devices come into play.
Increased activity levels in 2025
In 2025, STAR-UEMOA processed 1,866,260 transactions, compared to 1,706,039 in 2024. The total value of transactions amounted to 1,247,988 trillion FCFA, compared to 1,216,442 trillion FCFA the previous year. The number of participants increased from 152 to 153 establishments by the end of December 2025.
SICA-UEMOA, on the other hand, recorded 31.21 million transactions, compared to 30.06 million in 2024. The corresponding value amounted to 88,465 trillion FCFA, compared to 80,939 trillion FCFA the previous year. The system had 154 participants by the end of 2025.
Cross-border transactions also increased. According to the data presented, operations between Union countries processed by STAR-UEMOA reached 115,057 trillion FCFA in 2025, compared to 94,668 trillion FCFA in 2024, representing a 21.5% increase. They account for just over 9% of the total value of transactions processed by the system.
These data reflect an increase in the use of regional payment infrastructures within UEMOA.
